Combination-lock



H. W. PONTING AND AL], WATLING.

COMBINATION LOCK.

APPLICATIONFILED MAY 26. 1911.

Patented July 27, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. PONTING AND ARTHUR J. WATLING, OF JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS.

/ COMBINATION-LOCK.

Application filed May-26, 1917. Serial No. 171,247.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY W. PONTING and ARTHUR J. WATLING, citizens of the United States, residing at Junction City, in the county of Geary, in the State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Combination-Lock, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to looks for steering posts and steering mechanisms of automobiles, motor cycles and the like and has for its object the provision of novel means whereby rotary members, that is to say the steering shafts of automobiles or. motor cycles may be locked against rotation, the said invention having for its further object the provision ofnovel means for holding the locking member and in this instance a looking bar in locked or unlocked position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide novel permutation members associated and cooperating with'the locking bar.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which i Figure 1 illustrates a View in elevation of a fragment of a steering mechanism of an automobile showing the application of the invention to the steering column;

Fig. 2 illustrates a plan view of the lock casing and parts associated therewith;

Fig. 3 illustrates an enlarged detail view of one of the dials and the indicator associated therewith; V Fig. 4 illustrates a view in elevation, partly in section of the steering mechanism and the lock applied thereto, the casing of the lock being broken away;

Fig. 5 illustrates a sectional View on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 illustrates a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 illustrates a detail view in elevation of one of the dial shafts;

Fig. 8 illustrates an underneath plan view of the casing;

Fig. 9 illustrates a detail view of the look ing bolt; and

Fig. 10 illustrates a vertical sectional view of the lock. y In the present embodiment of the invention, a face plate 15 and a back plate 16 are employed, the same being connected by posts 17 which are threaded in the faceplace, the said back plate having apertures 18 for the reception of the posts, the ends of the said posts having heads which can be engaged by a screw driver or the like by turning the posts to thread them in the face plate, and a casing 20 closes the space between the two plates. The back plate has recesses 21 constituting bearings for the dial shafts 22, the said shafts being enlarged intermediate their lengths and the said enlarged por-' tions each being provided with a slot such as 23. The upper ends of the dial shafts extend through apertures 24 in the face plate and terminate in knurled heads 25 by which the shafts may be rotated. Each shaft has a pointer or indicator 26 applied to it, so that it may be rotated with relation to the face 27 of the dial, so as to bring the pointer into position with relation to any of the ntnnbers. The pointer may be set on the dial shaft in such relation to the slot in the shaft as to cause the pointer of the indicator to reach a certain position or number when the slot is in position to aline with one of the studs or pins to be presently described which project or radiate from the locking bolt. Tension devices such as springs 28 are applied to the shafts and bear against the under surface of the face plate so as to prevent rattling or vibration of the said shafts while the vehicle is moving and in order to form a bearing for the tension members or springs, the dial shaft 22 is provided with a shoulder 29 on which the spring is seated.

The spring may comprise a curved piece of metal having means for applying it to the shaft, and if the spring is provided with an aperture to receive the shaft, it will fulfil the requirements.

A-washer is interposed between the indicator 26 and the dial to permit the indicator to move over the surface of the dial without rubbing the said dial and it is to be understood that each of the dial shafts and indicators is supplied with the same structural features.

Patented July 27,1920.

The back plate has a central aperture 31,

the wall of which has oppositely disposed fins 32 which enter slots 33 in the bolt 34 to prevent the said bolt from turning and the locking bolt has studs or pins 35 which are adapted to enter the slots 23 of the dial shafts when the said dial shafts have been set to free the locking bolt. bolt has a knurled head 36 secured to it by a pin 37 and pins 38 are employed for securing the knurled heads to the dial shafts for convenience in operating these-parts.

Thelocln'ng bolt has a shoulder 39 which is engaged by a spring 40 encircling the said bolt and thisspring is adapted to bear against thelinner surface of the face plate when the locking bolt is withdrawn in order to hold .the locking bolt againstvibration, and it will be apparent that when the locking bolt is withdrawn, the studs or pins 35 rest on the shoulders ll of the dial shafts.

The construction and operation of the device will, it is thought, be understood from the'foregoing description and it will. be apparent thatna number of combinations .may be had by the adjustment of the indicators on the shafts in certain relation to the slots.

of the dial shafts and that when the locking bolt :is projectedor forced inwardly and the:

dial shafts are't-urned so that the .slots thereof are out-of alinement with the pins, the said-pins will strike .or engagethe shoulders. 42 .of the said dial shafts if any attempt is made to withdraw the locking bolt;

Therefore, thelocking bolt which enters a recess or socket 413' of the steering post 4a will prevent rotation ofthe steering shaft andan' auomobile or motor cyolecannot be 7 steered.

lVe claim 1. In a lock for automobiles, motor cycles and the like, a face plate, aback plate, a casing associated with 'the'face plate and back plate to form a housing, posts interposed between the faceplate and the back The locking plate, said back plate having recesses forming bearings and the face plate having apertures, dial shafts rotatable in the recesses and-apertures, said dial shaftsdlaving longitudinally extending slots, shoulders on the said shafts, springs interposed between the shoulders and the face plate, said springs each comprising an apertured member, 1y ing on a shoulder of a shaft and laterally curved with its edge engaging the plate, a locking bolt slidable in thelcasing, means for-holding the-lockingbolt against rotation, pins-radiating from the locking bolt and adapted to oscillate in the slots of the shafts, shoulders on the upper ends of the shafts adapted tov engage. the ;pins,, and.

shoulders-near the lower'endsof the shafts for engaging the pins. f

- 2. In a lock for automobiles, motor cycles and the like, :a .face' plate and back plate, a casing associated with the face plate and back plate to formv a housing, posts interposed between the face plate and the back plate, said, back plate having. recesses forming bearings and the face plate having apertu-rcs,-. dial shafts rotatable in the recesses and apertures,.said dial shafts havingto engage the pins, shoulders near the lower 7 ends of theshaftsfor engaging the pins, a shoulder on the locking bolt, and a spring engaging the said shoulder and adapted to engage the innensurface'of the face plate when thezpins ofthe locking barare in engagement with the outer shoulders of the shafts. r

HARRY lV. PONTIN'G ARTHUR J WVATLING. 

